I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. E.L. Reed did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

4⭐⭐⭐⭐



-- the story was about a serial killer that on the loose before its too late .
the story was good but some of the story was repetitive and dint like them.
ending was a mishap of random things just probably just to add spice.




❤️shaye.reads

This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What I enjoyed the most in this book were the chapters from the killers pov. They were well written and gave the reader a great insight inside the killer’s head. These parts were obviously a little gorier than the rest, but I don’t have a problem with that and thought that gave the story a little more substance.

Even though I liked Wes and Ali I thought the romance in this book was unnecessary and I didn’t enjoy it. Both were good characters on their own and the story was enough to carry this book, the romance felt out of place and forced.

The ending was very abrupt for me and I thought one or two more chapters would have made a better ending. I can’t go into more details here, I don’t want to spoil anything but if you read it, you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t want to have the case dragged out longer but a little more resolution would have been appreciated.

One determined detective. One thorough medical examiner. And the serial killer that brings them together.

Connecticut State Police Detective Wesley Dawson will stop at nothing until this maniac serial killer is locked up and put away for good. With bodies piling up and his older sister living on the streets, Wes refuses to let anything get in his way. The crimes are gruesome, and nobody is safe with a vicious killer on the loose.

Medical examiner Ali Jenson is the best in the business, but even these cases are too brutal for her. The deaths are beginning to get to her. Ali's strength and courage won't falter; she'll do everything she can to help Wes. But when the killer starts hitting a little too close to home, the stakes are higher than either of them ever imagined. With time running out, can they take down the killer before it's too late? Giving this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story is told from three points of view the murder, the detective, and the medical examiner. The story begins with the murder’s first Gruesome kill. The murders are carried out in a way comparable only to the over 100 year old murders in the Lizzie Borden case. Each victim attacked by 11 blows from a hatchet. Detective Dawson deals with his own personal search throughout the novel for his missing sister who he knows is homeless but living somewhere in the area. His desperation to find her only intensified by the series of gruesome murders currently occurring in the area. The novel also includes a romantic subplot between Detective Dawson and the medical examiner in the case, which I thought was
deftly handled so as not to overpower the thriller plot and turn the novel into a romance, but still add an extra human side to the detective. A serious procedural thriller that draws inspiration from one of true crime history’s most fascinating and enduring mysteries. I could definitely see these characters returning in future mystery stories.

Wow, this was a screwed up book.
Some things were a little confusing (double talked), but I was hooked by the first page.

If you want a bloody thriller, I'd definitely check this out.




TW:
Graphic murder, incest/sexual abuse of child (off-page), serial killer

Someone is murdering people with a hatchet, and Detective Wes Dawson is trying to find the killer, while also searching for his sister who lives on the streets and starting a romance with the medical examiner. I didn't really enjoy this that much. The killer was pretty obvious from very early on. I was hoping there would be some twist where it ended up being someone else, but no. Also, I don't really understand what exactly the Lizzie Borden connection was. Was the killer possessed, haunted, what? 2 stars

Detective Wesley Dawson is tracking a serial killer. This killer takes a hatchet to the faces of the victims ... eleven whacks .. no more, no less. The crimes are horrific and those who find the bodies will have nightmares years to come.

The first victim is a homeless man ... chosen as random ... he is the killer's guinea pig. The bodies are piling up and there are no clues, no DNA and there's no connection among the dead.

Medical Ali Jenson is doing all she can to find anything at all to give to Dawson. This case is affecting both of them for different reasons. As the bodies pile up, the killer gets closer to Ali and Wesley ... are they the next intended victims?

This crime fiction is well-written, with twists and turns along the way. Suspense starts on the very first page and maintains a high level until the surprising conclusion. The characters are solidly drawn. Dawson is doing double duty, as his sister is among the homeless and has been for many years. Night after night, Dawson is searching the back streets, the allies, the shadows where the homeless gather. I hope to see more of this developed in the author's next book(s). There's a budding romance in the works, as well. It's fast-paced and hard to put down once started.

Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

One big issue I had with this book is something that I sincerely hope was changed before publication and that is the fact that words were hyphenated for absolutely no reason. For example "re-ally" instead of really, or "al-lowing" instead of allowing. This happened often and was quite distracting. But again, as I did receive an ARC of this novel I am hoping that was caught and fixed.

Aside from that - the perspective of the killer was fascinating. I loved how their part in the story was told in the first person, while the other two points of view (Dawson & Ali respectively) were told in the third person. I think this switch allowed us to get into the killer's head as we tried to understand their past and figure out who they were.

However, I really could have done without the romance between Dawson and Ali. Especially when we know next to nothing about them. Sure, little details are dropped here and there, but I never really felt like they developed as characters. So I would have liked to have seen them exploring their friendship and learning more about them as individual people before they started thinking in terms of romance, especially when their romantic thoughts do nothing, in my opinion, to move the plot forward (especially Ari's point of view seemed overly romantic).

While this story did include it's fair share of red herrings, and dubious characters, I never really felt like I was drawn into the world the way I wanted to be. I also felt as though most of it dragged on a fair amount. But I do think this story would appeal to those who enjoy these types of novels.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

From the first chapter, this book has you hooked. The way the scene was set at the start was SO GOOD! I enjoyed the multi-perspective writing style in this book and the plot did leave me guessing until the very end.
Like I said, the first chapter gripped me straight away - this is told from the killer's perspective and I was able tp picture the scene so vividly.
The detective (Wesley Dawson), is in charge of the case. When he finds the first victim to be homeless, this immediately pushes the case to be something more personal as he is estranged from his sister and believes she is homeless in the area.
The story makes for a good 'Cat-and-Mouse' style story and I enjoyed the fact I didn't guess it until the very end. There were some parts of the story which I didn't see as needed to enhance the story (for example the little love interest and saucy bits between Dawson and Ali) and other than the fact he believes his sister is out there somewhere, nothing really came of that in the end.
Overall an enjoyable read, not exactly a showstopper but I would recommend it to others. A nice easy read witha good pace. 3.5*

Solid detective versus serial killer - keeps a good pace and will keep you turning the page to find out what happens next. Would have liked a bit more on the thought processes of the killer, but everything gets tied up at the end. Nice little bit of romance tucked in.

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<p class="has-text-align-center has-normal-font-size">A fast-paced who-done-it centered around a series of brutal killings by a deranged serial killer. There is no reason behind the killings or similarities giving Detective Dawson little to work with regarding solving the piling up cases. Dawson soon looks to Ali, a medical examiner for help in the cases. As the killings become closer together Dawson and Ali are in a fight against time to solve one of the toughest cases of their careers. Can they find the killer before it is too late?</p>
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<p class="has-text-align-center has-normal-font-size">This was an easy, fast read that kept pace throughout the whole story. I found the story to be interesting, keeping my attention until a jaw-dropping ending. I enjoyed the fact that it flipped from Dawson and Ali's perspective to the Killer's, giving a deeper glimpse into the Killer's thought process. Although I enjoyed the story, I found the characters to be extremely flat, there was no depth or character development in any of the characters. I was hoping to have some more information or depth to the backstories of Dawson and Ali. Some insight was given, yet it came off more like thoughts that never went any deeper than surface value. Intertwined in the search for the killer there was a booming romance between Dawson and Ali which made for an eventful plot. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, I found it to be a rather easy, fast-paced read, finishing it in just a matter of a couple days. Even though I found this to be an enjoyable read, I did not find it memorable in any way. There was not enough emotion, depth, or description to leave any lasting effect. The lack of depth to the characters and description made this story come off flat and cold.</p>
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<p class="has-text-align-center has-normal-font-size">If you are looking for an easy, fast read, a decent who-done-it then this is a great choice. This was a well-done detective tale about one man's hunt for a local killer.  A great choice for mystery or thriller lovers who enjoy a good detective plot.</p>
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<p class="has-text-align-center">*Thank you to #NetGalley for this E-ARC Edition* All opinions expressed are of my own. I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review* </p>
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Damn that chapter 1! It started like it was just your ordinary novel taking it easy from the start
but this was not it. This was no ordinary novel, the first chapter was like you either go big or
none at all! How the story was introduced was superb and I really loved it. It was just the
beginning of a thrilling cat and mouse chase.

The novel started a bang from the killer`s perspective. It was so intense that I had imagined I
was the one that took the blow from the killer`s hatchet. As hours had passed, the dead body is
now surrounded by police to investigate what really had happened. The Detective that is in
charge of the case is Wesley Dawson, a Police Detective that has a soft spot for homeless
people. He has this feeling that his sister is one of them for she had flown from their home years
ago. Back from the crime scene, Detective Dawson asked immediately what had happened,
Officer Brown is the one that answered him and explained the details he already listed in his
notebook. Detective Dawson finds Officer Brown`s remarks from the crime scene very
informative and precise that it was as if he witnessed all of it. Detective Dawson said to Officer
Brown that he should lose the pen and the notes for he does not need it, he said that Officer
Brown would remember all the details because it will be useful shortly. From the remarks of
Detective Dawson and Officer Brown`s precise conclusion they soon gather enough information
to know where to look for more leading evidence and even what is the murder weapon.
Detective Brown is eager to solve this case and even more after a new victim was found. His
heart was racing when he knew the new victim was a woman. And now Detective Dawson
seems like he is out of time, will they solve it before it is too late?

I am a slow reader and I kid you not if I say that I did not stop reading it until I was at the last
page. The past few novels I read before this were somewhat not enough to satisfy my thriller
needs. But this one does not just give you what you need but more of what could you ever ask
for. The story was really a race through time, but it was never shy of how it's been told. It was
vivid that you could almost feel you are also in the story. Really a wonderful novel you should be looking forward to.